Friday, November 1, 2013

Reunion 40 Memory Book Ordering

You may have been so excited and busy with the fun at Reunion 40, that you missed getting your picture taken by our event photographer and/or forgot to order your memory book. Earl Parr has shot all our reunions and does a fantastic job. In case you didn't notice, he was all around shooting pics of the event Saturday night. You are probably in there somewhere!

We committed to purchase a minimum of 40 of the awesome memory book Earl and the committee will be creating in the next several weeks. He received orders for 33 at the event so we need 7 more of you to make a purchase. The cost is just $20 for a lifetime of memories with quality pics of the best reunion yet. If you don't buy them, the committee will be billed for the remaining 7 needed to fulfill our commitment.

Don't miss the great opportunity to remember a great event! Order yours today by calling Earl Parr at 361-980-0991 or look him up at www.earparrphotography.com. Thank you so much!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Stay Connected

We created several ways for alumni to get connected for Reunion 40 and now you can stay connected. We are keeping this blog site up and will post as needed for any upcoming events in the future. Our email address is still the same and we continue to build our confirmed email address list for new events. If you have not already confirmed your email address, send us a note to carrollreunion@yahoo.com so we can update your record. If you are not sure then send one anyway! We are also keeping the Facebook group called Carroll Class of 73 so you can keep posting there anytime. Until the next event...Go Tigers!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Reunion 40 A Huge Sucess!

If you missed this event, then you missed the mother of all reunions! Reunion 40 turned out to be a weekend full of fun with Class of 73 alumni all over Port A.

Many came in early on Thursday and left on Monday making the best of the time there on the beach. I saw alumni at the beach, in the lobby, driving beach carts, in the tent on Friday night, in restaurants, shopping, and at the main event Saturday night. What started out a casual get together on Friday night, ended up being a huge beach party with a big tent glowing in the night. I think the two night minimum stay at the condos turned our event into a "weekend" event instead of a one night thing.

The decor for the main event was incredible! It kept getting better and better as the day went Friday preparing. By the time Saturday night came the room looked like a beach club decked out to the max with real surfboards in every corner, live plants all around, tiki faces on the wall, and grass skirts around the tables. Vicki Watson chimed in with Nancy on site and those two; well you saw the room!

The band...well I must say the band was amazing and played the best classic rock songs of our era. At the onset of the very first song ( Old Time Rock and Roll) the dance floor stayed full the whole night with non-stop hits like Rocky Mountain Way, Wonderful Tonight, Take it Easy, Born to be Wild, and Cinnamon Girl. From the Allman Brother to Santana, they played it all! Yes it was a little loud, but we are getting older too!

This whole event I was amazed at the generosity of our class mates. They made donations, worked the registration table in shifts, greeted people at the door, tipped the bar, said thank you all the time, helped clean up after, and did whatever it took to make this weekend memorable. Way to go Class of 73!

Ok! I will admit this event took a lot of planning and a lot of work! But the committee became this incredible bond of classmates with the strongest desire for a great event I have seen. For eight months we emailed, called, texted, and planned until the last day before the event. There was never a time we did not get along! We all had a part and worked together! Rick Cadden was the tech man with on-line registration and the blog and communication and live entertainment guy. Jeff Watson and Bob Church were the Friday night tent guys. Nancy Cantu was the decor person. Vicki Maxwell was the name badge person and compiled the deceased alumni display. Debbie was our encourager and affirmation person. Bob was the t-shirt guy and resource guy and could get anything we needed. Then we all worked on details and implementation. I can't leave out my wife Becky who put up with me for 8 months talking about the reunion all the time and then running the name badge table and t-shirt sales all night long. What a team!

For me, it was over-the-top fun and the best reunion in our history! I just did not want to leave on Monday. At both the Friday and Saturday night events, the buzz in conversations was amazing. It was like we never left high school and picked right up where we left off. Old friendships were re-kindled and I am sure the stories of high school days flowed freely.

So, the question is how do we top this event? We don't! We just do it all again soon!

Comments? Discussion? What was your take on the reunion?

Monday, October 7, 2013

Reunion 40 Important Info for You

More important info for you this coming weekend that will make things smooth and easy. 
  • Parking on the beach requires a $12 permit per car that is good for the whole weekend. You can purchase those from City Hall, IGA, and Strips Food and Gas.I would suggest you purchase one especially for the Friday night beach party. NOTE: Parking at the Sandcastle is only for guests all others will be towed.
  • We negotiated a great special rate for beach carts too if you want some more fun. They are 4 or 6 passenger you can drive on the streets and the beach all over Port A.
    4 passenger for 24 hours regular $150 for $85 or a 6 passenger for 24 hours regular $180 for $95. just mention Carroll Class of 73 for the special rate
    Brons Beach Carts 314 E Avenue G 361-290-7143 ( plus tax and gas)
  • Great news...the Sandcastle is giving us the full 15% room discount since we booked 46 of the 50 rooms we reserved. The discount will be reflected on your bill at check out.
  • Please help out by manning the registration table for us in short shifts. Spouses work great for this too. If you can help out for a short time please email rick.cadden@gmail.com. Doors open at 6pm.
See you soon!
Reunion Committee

Monday, September 30, 2013

Last Call for Reunion 40

This is our last notice about Reunion 40: "Friends for Life". (aren't you relieved, lol) Tickets are just $55 a person good thru Tuesday Oct 1st. After Tuesday Oct 1st, tickets go to $70 per person. Other reunions charged $80 recently. We have a fun filled weekend for you with a seafood, beef, and chicken catered meal by Saltwater Grill, live 70's Classic Rock Band, Reunion 40 LOGO shirts you can purchase, a Reunion 40 Memory Photo Book from Earl Parr you can purchase, and beach party on Friday night under the big tent. You just can't beat the price for all this fun! PLUS all this is with all your friends from high school! Unbelievable!

So, tickets go up after Tuesday Oct 1st so why wait! Register today and save you money and help us with making commitments to our many vendors.

Register at www.carrollclassof73.whindo.com

Reunion 40 Committee

Saturday, September 28, 2013

IMPORTANT INFO FOR REUNION 40

Reunion 40 Logo T-shirt pre-orders - if you pre-ordered a shirt when you registered it will be waiting for you at the Saturday night event. If you don't remember if you ordered one, go to carrollclassof73@whindo.com and click on the SEE WHO'S COMING page and find your name. If you want to change your order email us at carrollreunion@yahoo.com. Change order deadline is Oct 1st.
Keep inviting alumni from our class that you are connected with. Ticket price goes up after Oct 1st.

What to bring to Reunion 40:

Friday Night - BYOB (ice, cups, bottled water, and cokes are provided), bug spray, chairs in a bag, and dress is beach casual.

Saturday Night - BYOB (ice, cups, bottled water, and cokes are provided), money for Earl Parr reunion Photo book $20, and cash for your reunion shirt $15, dress is beach dressy.

For both events you can bring an ice chest with your favorite drinks The Theme is "Friends for Life" 40 years later in a luau setting on the beach like we grew up on.

Contact us:  carrollreunion@yahoo.com our email
                    carrollclassof73.whindo.com to register and pay on-line
                    carrollclassof73.blogspot.com our blog


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Reunion 40 Taking Shape

Carroll Class of 73 never does anything half way! We always go way out and do things right and our 40 year reunion will be no different. As I look back over the past 40 years, each 10 year reunion has been a blast and huge success thanks to you our alumni for helping and attending! So once again here we are with another reunion coming soon and man oh man is it going to be fun! I love helping each time and seeing all the hard work come together the night of the event. So many details and so many ideas to work together and make an event.

What I love about Reunion 40 is it is on the beach where we grew up. You just cant beat our location this time and the events planned. I recently made a trip to Port A for a reunion planning meeting and it sure brought back some memories. On my way from Port A on Saturday I was driving 361 back to Padre. You know the road...long and flat. I thought about how I drove this same road in my 1967 Camero going to the Young Life house each week in the summer and now here I am 50 years later driving the same road in my 2008 Mini Cooper.

I am sure as you come back for the reunion, Port A and the beach will flood your mind with those same memories of high school days. Our Friday night event is designed to bring you back to the summer days of the 70's with a bonfire, music, and that gritty feeling, and wind, and great beach times. Don't miss Friday night!

See you there! Comments? Discussion?

Saturday, August 31, 2013

THREE WAYS TO MAKE REUNION 40 GREAT!

Carroll Class of 73 has always been known for "Friends for Life" and one of the closest classes in friendships. I am sure many of you still connect with classmates from our class and stayed friends for so many years. Looking back at our past "ten year" reunions, they have all been a huge success with great attendance and tons of fun. Reunion 40 won't be any less!

Finding our classmates has always been the hardest part of planning a reunion. I have been involved somehow with each reunion and can say first hand finding people and getting the word out is the biggest challenge. There are other challenges in reunion planning too like knowing how many to plan for especially when you have food to order in advance. 

Here are (3) THREE ways YOU can help us in making Reunion 40: Friends for Life a great event.

  • Spread the word to every alumni you are in contact with. We have (3) resources to help you spread the word. 
    • Our blog is www.carrollclassof73.blogspot.com, where you are right now.
    • Our registration web site is www.carrollclassof73.whindo.com password is gotigers
    • Our email address is carrollreunion@yahoo.com
  • Register for the reunion yourself and encourage others to register now as well. 
  • Make a donation to the event over and above your ticket price to help us offset all the costs.   
So, there you have it! Help us make our 40 year Carroll High School Class of 73 reunion one to remember. We already have so much planned that will make the weekend fun and exciting for everyone.

Reunion 40 Donations

Planning High School Reunions is hard work and can cost a lot of money. Reunion 40 is coming together very well and we are expecting it to be one of the best reunions for our class. The organizers have worked hard to keep costs down but still have a great event. We made ticket prices low to encourage more people to attend, however there are still some costs not yet covered. Other school reunions are charging much more than we are. We are asking for monetary support beyond your ticket price if possible. This will help us defray some of the costs. Your donation goes directly to expenses for the event. Please give as much or little as you like. Every dollar will help! You may give by clicking the DONATE button below using a secure PayPal account. You can give by debit card, credit card, or with your Paypal account.

Thank you so much for your support to Reunion 40!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Reunion 40: Friends for Life is coming fast!

It's time to register for your 40 Year High School reunion in Port A Oct 11-12, 2013. We are celebrating 40 years of friendships that the Class of 73 is well known for! We have a full weekend of fun and food and music. Don't wait or hesitate! register today! To register and pay on line, go to www.carrollclassof73.whindo.com and use password gotigers then click submit. There you can get info on the Sandcastle Condo where we have a block of rooms reserved for Carroll Reunion at a discounted rate. You can see who is coming and see a link about the classic rock band playing the reunion. Back in Time Band is led by alumni Rick Cadden and will rock the house for our event for some old time rock and roll and more.

Let's go tigers! Register today and be there!

Your comments! Discussion!

Friday, May 31, 2013

Finding Alumni

Probably the funnest part for me with helping plan reunions is finding people. I guess it's the challenge and anticipation that drives me to it. For the 30th reunion I was nicknamed Rick Cadden, PI (private eye). Back then there were so many free sites to use that it was really easy and very successful. Today those sites are almost always a pay site now. So, being the cheapskate I am I still use only use free sites. Google has become the best route for me so far! It's amazing to just google a name and see what comes up. Try your own name! It can be and eye opener.
I could tell you a lot of interesting stories about how I find people and the time it takes. But I love every minute of the challenge. My real motivation is getting them the info about the reunion and then getting them to attend. Our class is so special and there were so many great friendships built in highschool. The other fact is back then people did not move around like they do today. My parents lived in the same house for over 30 years, thus i lived in the same house from K-12th grade as did many of my friends. That means I graduated high school with friends from elementary school. I challenge you to start looking for friends too and see how fun it can be. Here are a few tips that may help you get started.
#1 First google their name. Your first goal is to get their full name somehow.
#2 Now google their full name
#3 scroll through sites that come up until you see their name listed. I could be anything from an article they commented on to being a member of a home owner association.
#4 Watch for deaths, marriages, and divorces that list their name. It could a relative.
#5 Watch for job related posts using their name and then start searching other sites like LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter, and the like
Good luck
Rick Cadden, PI

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Who Is Going to Reunion 40?

You can see who is already registered for the reunion by going to www.carrollclassof73.whindo.com. Once there type in the pass code gotigers and click the submit button. If you don't see your name listed, that means you need to register and plan on attending! By registering now, it will greatly help us plan the reunion and make it the best it can be. We will be securing caters soon and having a good attendance number to work with will help us in pricing. So, why not register today and then book your room at the Sandcastle Beach Condo where the events will take place. Keep spreading the word to every alumni you are in touch with and get them to register. Thanks so much!

Friday, March 8, 2013

Reunion 40 Memory Books

Only the best for Class of 73 Alumni! We are contracting with Earl Parr again this time for pictures. Earl shot pictures at our last two reunions and the committee felt Earl did an outstanding job. The price is great and the pictures are quality. Here is how it works.

As you arrive on Saturday night, each alumni will be asked to have their picture taken.You may include your spouse or whoever you like. Then you will have the opportunity to pre-order the memory book for just $20. That cost includes shipping and tax. The books will be mailed directly to you after the reunion.

The more individual picture he takes, the more fun pages we get in the memory book. There is a minimum of 40 books so please participate. There is no cost to you to just have your picture taken as you arrive. You will have the opportunity later to purchase additional prints. Memory book samples from other classes will be at the the reunion for you to look at to get an idea of ours will look like.

Comments? Discussion?

Thursday, March 7, 2013

The Times They Are A Changing

I thought this was interesting! Costs for Reunion 40 are about the same as they were for the 30 year reunion. In 2003 rooms at the Omni were $110 per night and this year rooms at the Sandcastle, on the beach, are just $89 a night. In 2003 we charged $100 per couple and this year we are charging $110 but in 2003 there was no food on Friday night, just a mixer, and this year there will be food both nights plus the beach tent for the weekend.

In 2003 we had a PO Box and snail mailed invitations and accepted checks. This year we only have an email address, you have to e-pay, and we contact everyone on FB, Classmates, and our blog. In 2003 no one knew what a blog even was. Just some interesting facts!

Your comments? Discussion?

A Time Capsule in a Box

Thanks to my wife for finding a box in the attic for me! Turns out we have been storing old items from the last reunion in 2003 all this time in our attic. Of course we have moved several times so that means somehow it got moved each time with all the other junk in our attic. lol.

I was like a little kid at Christmas opening presents! The box contained all the name badges we made with our senior picture on it; one new t-shirt, left over memory books, a few invitations, attendee list, the "Friends for Life" banner still usable, and a CD I had made with tons of pictures we put up on the screen during the reunion last time.

Becky and I sorted all the name badges and so many names came to life for me like where are all these people. It was fun recognizing peoples name and picture. I think we will use the old banner and just add to the bottom...ten years later! Can you believe we are celebrating 40 years of friendships? One thing the box did not have that I was hoping to find is the music CD we made with so many great songs from the 70's. I must have given the away for some reason.

Finding this box was like finding a time capsule buried for the past ten years in my attic. My wife knew right where the box was like she was just waiting for this time to come and surprise me. She really puts up with a lot especially during reunion years. That's all I talk about and work on for months every time in getting ready.

Your comments! Discussion!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Early Bird Tickets Sold Out

Thanks so much for taking advantage of the Early Bird discount! You not only gave us a great start to attendance but helped fund deposits for the event we had to personally make in advance. We are off to a great start and I hope it created a lot of excitement for Reunion 40.
Now we all need to work on finding friends from Class of 73. Start looking through your email address and FB friends and direct them to our blog, Classmates, and our Facebook group. Once you find people please make sure they email us at carrollreunion@yahoo.com so we can add them to the confirmed contact list. That is our main source for contacting alumni for the reunion.

Comments? Discussion?

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Beach Memories of Padre Island

Our first week with open registration and e-payments was great with 24 tickets sold! That really helps the Reunion Team with making deposits and getting things firmed up. It looks like registration went smooth with no problems too! Ten years ago, and all the previous reunions as well, we had to open a PO box, a checking account, and mail out invitations by snail mail! Now it is 2013 and we are doing it all online and with e-commerce programs. Very cool right!

We are working on t-shirt logo and firming up the buffet dinner menu for Saturday night. Of course you have to have some seafood and maybe a little chicken or beef. Remember sand burgers and cooking out on the beach? Oh yeah! We are looking at doing that on Friday night of the reunion to bring back those fond memories of the beach.

Ok! Remember camping out on the beach in a tent and the grittiness and humidity and the wind? How did we put up with that crud?We loved it and did it all the time because that's just what you do at the beach. The Friday night and Saturday events are destined to bring back those good memories as well with a big tent on the beach.

Kick off your shoes and hang ten at the Big Tent during Reunion 40. Yes it very well could be windy, humid, and gritty, so get over it and come anyway. Everyone will be there!

Comments? Discussion? What are your beach memories?

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Back in Time Performs at Reunion 40

Back In Time is a cover band dedicated to classic rock hits from the 70's. That era produced some of the greatest rock music in history and now those hits are being brought back for some real fun. The band was created by alumni Rick Cadden especially for the purpose of playing his high school reunion. Little did he know they would be performing live at various venues along the way. The band is based out of Mansfield, Texas and is a 6 member band of musicians that having been playing music for over 2 decades with many different bands. Somehow they were able to bring together 6 people that absolutely love classic rock. Catch them June 15th at Farr Best Theater in Mansfield, Texas for some 70's trivia and classic rock hits.

Have you ever heard of these songs? Gimmie Three Steps, Balinese, Wonderful Tonight, Green River, China Grove, Born to be Wild, Sunshine of Your Love, Long Train Runnin, Cinnamon Girl, Take It Easy, Needle and the Spoon, and so much more.

Comments? Discussion?

Event Registration and Payment

Registration is now open for reunion 40 "Friends for Life" for Oct 11-12, 2013. To make this easy you can register for the event and pay on-line at the same time.
Go to Reunion 40 Registration for all the details of the event. While you are there you can register, pay with a Paypal account or credit card, reserve a reunion t-shirt and give shirt size, and get all the details of the event. NOTE: the registration site is password protected ~ gotigers (you have to click submit)
Once you register you will be able to print your tickets. Please save these for the event and present your tickets at the door as you arrive. You will also get a confirmation email showing your charges and that your order is complete. That's it. You are ready to party!



Sunday, February 17, 2013

Plans Are Coming Together for a Big Event

As usual the Class of 73 just can't do a simple reunion; we have to make it a big event with all the bells and whistles. Remember the 30 Year Reunion? It was huge and was a big party with great attendance and great fun. I think every reunion we have done has been big and fun. This one will be no less!

Reunion 40 will host not one night of fun but two nights of fun, food, and fellowship! Given that it is held in Port A, well it just has to be a beach party! Yes, that means a big tent on the beach, bonfire, cook out, and as always music! That's just the start of the weekend with sand volleyball on Saturday and hangin out at the tent as you like. Then the main event has a full buffet dinner, more fellowship time, and then classic rock music hits from the 70's by Back in Time Band! (led by alumni Rick Cadden)

Ok! So if that does not excite you, you ARE getting old! lol. If I were you, I not let this weekend go by and you not be in it. We have accommodations for you, parties for you, live entertainment for you, and lots of food for you. With all your high school friends there, what else could you want! The cost? It will certainly cost you but no more than any other fun packed weekend. We have worked hard to keep the cost as low as possible.

See you there or be square!

Comments? Suggestions? 

Friday, February 15, 2013

Accommodations for Reunion 40

We have a block of 50 rooms set aside for the reunion starting at just $89 a night (required 2 night min). To reserve at the Sandcastle for the reunion, please call direct and ask for the discount rate and block of rooms for Carroll High School Reunion. Do not book on line or you will not get the special rate. NOTE: If we book 50 or more rooms the rate will be discounted down 15% for each reservation! All the events are held at the Sandcastle Condominiums in the Conference Center and out front of the condo on the beach. Plus if you stay there you have full access to the pool and hot tub area right on the beach.

Comments? Suggestions?

Friday, January 18, 2013

Stay Connected to Reunion 40

The Reunion 40 blog is open all day every day just for you to stay connected.  We will be updating our blog all the time and every time we add details to the event so you will know exactly what is happening.

Our email address is carrollreunion@yahoo.com so MAKE SURE you send us your current contact information there as soon as possible. We do not sell or give out email addresses without your permission.

Trivia question for you: If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Follow us on Facebook

If you are on Facebook you can follow our group called Carroll Class of 73!

We are also on classmates.com for more details and posts by alumni!

Reunion 40 Date Set

Save the date! Our 40 Year Carroll Class of 73 reunion is booked for Friday and Saturday October 11 and 12, 2013. Put that date down in your cell phone, your tablet, your wall calendar, post it on your forehead: just do not loose that date! This will be the reunion of all reunions! Tell every Class of 73 alumni you are in contact with about this date! Be there or be square!